Engenho II — Kalunga Community

Engenho II is the most accessible village of the Kalunga quilombola territory, one of the largest surviving quilombo communities in Brazil. It serves as the entry point for visits to the spectacular Cachoeira Santa Bárbara and the surrounding network of waterfalls and pools, and is itself worth visiting for the sense of an old, self-contained Afro-Brazilian rural culture.

The community runs a visitor centre, sells simple food and crafts, and organises guides for the waterfall trails. Cultural festivals — particularly the Festa do Império in August — bring drumming, food, and the local sussa dance. Stay overnight in a community-run pousada or campsite for a better feel of the place than a day-trip will give.

things to do sight culture
A story
The Kalunga are descendants of escaped slaves who fled into the Chapada dos Veadeiros in the 18th century, building hidden quilombo settlements in the most inaccessible river valleys. They lived in near-total isolation for nearly two centuries — only in the 1980s was the territory legally recognised and connected by road.